Display rack



J. l. BLUM DISPLAY RACK Oct. 23, 1951 Filed Oct. 15, 1948 INVENTOR.

- JACK 1. BLUM BY gal/4am 37 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY RACK JackI., Blum, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application October-13, 1948,'Serial No. 54,224

5 Claims... (Cl. 211-89.)

My invention relatesito-display racks; and it; relates more particularlyto racks torthe display-v of a plurality of articles ofmerchandise; suchas neckties or the like, for .inspectionziand. selection byintendingpurchasers.-

The principal object .of .the present: invention. is to providea-rack-or holder for. displaying-a;

number oi articles, such: as; neckties or theelike, i'or-inspection andselection 1 by intending 1311111!- chaser-s, from which: the selected,articles :may be arrangement of the others.-

A further object of the-presentinvention-is to provide a-displayrack orholderxh'aving improved means whereby anarticle-may be inserted. quickwly' and expeditiously to replace. one which was previously removed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rack orholder, of the character de-. scribed, having a plurality of clampingplates 'for holding articles to be displayed; with improved Thenatureand characteristic.features of the:

present inventionnwill; be-mre readily understood from the-followingdescription; taken in connection. with" the-" accompanying drawing:

forming part hereof; in which:

Figure 1 is :a side elevationofanecktieracke holder embodying the mainfeaturesgoithe pres.-

entinvention; the bar-on which: the sameis mounted. beingshown insection;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan viewzthereoir Fig; 3 iis :a .vertical sectiontaken on the :line 3--3 of Fig.2;

Fig. t is auvertical-sectiontaken OHthGt-llllfl;

Fig. 5 is" a transversevertical section taken: on i Fig. 6 isaperspective :view of one of the clamp! ing plates detached; with one ofthe: devices :for

spreading the clamping plates shown in place thereon.

It should, of course; begunderstoodthatthe -de.-.

withoutdepartingimm: the spiritioiz-the: nven- M011...

readily removed without: disturbing-thezorderly 0. scription". anddrawing herein are. illustrative merely, and that", various;modifications; and; changes may be made in the structuresdisclosed;

Referring 'to the. drawing-as therein shown, Hlis asupporting bar or roduponwhich the are ticle holder of 'thepresent .invention .may bemounted. The rod or bar [0 may be supported iiin any desired manner, andat any preferred place or the same may be a component part of a pedestalstructure, notv shown, for counter display.-

It should, howevery-be understood that .ordi- Tnarilya-plurality of theholders of the present invention will usually be mounted on such a bar,

however said bar may be supported. Ofxcourse other means for supportingthe-holder may be used if: desired.v

The partsof .thedevice of the present invention are mountedl inasuitable frame having side plates-H and. 12,. and. anintegral crossplate.

l3' atthe front extending from, one side plate ll toqthe other sideplate l2;

The-frame may also include;- at the rear, a cross plate 14' to which. aparallel plate I5 is integrally attached bymeans of thetop member 16thereby to provide'a channel forthe purpose of mounting the frame onpthesupporting rod or bar H].

The; rear-plate ,I 5 of theframe is provided with an upward extension l1bent over at the top as at 18 to provide a. handle for manually grippingtheudevice when it is to 'be removed from-the supporting rod or bar Ill;The side plates I I and I2 of the framemay be secured to the rear platesl4 and I5 by means of tongues l9 extending throu h openings and 45. insaid plates l4 and I5 and having bent overportions 20 at the rear.of"the, plate l5, andthe supporting rod or bar 10 may be suitablynotchedas; at 2 I where the tongues extend across the channel providedby-the'portions I4, l5and IS. The notches 2| serve to-prevent the framefrom-slidingon thesupporting rod or bar-I 0.

The frame is also provided with internally disposed gu-ide bars 22 and23 connected by a transverse bar 24 at theiront. The bar 24 is securedtothe-transverse bar l3 of the main frame. The rearends-of the guidebars22 and 23 extend through openings 46in-the rear plate l4 and are bentover-as at 48gjand: 49 against the inner face of; saidplate- I 4within;- the-channel provided between themembers I4 and J5. The guidebars 22;,and 23 are slottedas at 2'5, ,forapurpose to e -pIe Y p aind.;;

Slidably mounted on the bars 22 and 23' is'a plurality; ofclampingplates 26; one of which'is shown ;in detached perspective inFig. dot-the drawing,-said plates 26 beingzsuitably apertured as. u,;2;1complemental to-the guides. bars 122. and

3 23. Each of the clamping plates 26 is bent over at its respective endsas at 28 and 29, thereby to provide means for mounting a separatingdevice on each clamping plate 26.

The separating device is preferably made of round wire suitably bent andformed to provide a spindle 33, one end of which is journaled in thehole 47 provided in one of the bent over portions 28 and the other endof which is journaled in an angular cut-out 3! in the other bent-overportion 29. Intermediate the ends of the spindle portion of theseparating device the same is bent at two places to provide arms 32 and33, disposed between the bent-over end portions 28 and 29 of theclamping plate 23 and the guide bars22 and 23.

4 ited to approximately 90 of movement by means of the stop member 40 onthe side of the side plate [2 of the main frame.

Also when the spindle member is rotated to bring the arms 32 and 33 tothe operative positions to separate a pair of clamping plates, the endsof the arms 32 and 33 will be seated in the apertures 50 in the adjacentclamping plate sothat the parts will be locked, against return movementuntil the spindle is manually actuated by means of the arm provided atthe end of the spindle device for that purpose.

It will, of course, be understood when a pair of clamping plates is thusseparated, the clamp The guide bars 22 and 23 are longitudinally slottedas at 25 for the passage therethrough of describedand thus hold theplates 26 in separated positions.

'One end of the spindle'portion of the separating device extends througha slot 35 in the side plate 12 of the main frame, being bent as at 38"at right angles to'the spindle portion and terminating in a'circularcoil 3? to provide a hand hold for selectively rotating the desiredseparating device to operate the same in a manner to be presently setforth.

A stop member 40, made of a suitable piece of wire, extends along theside of the side plate l2 of the main frame, the same being secured atits front end to the front end of said side plate [2 and extendingthrough openings in the'plates l4 and I5 at the rear end of the frameand'being bent' over'as at 42 tohold the same in place.

A pair of coil springs 43 are mounted between the innermost of theclamping plates 26 and the rear plate l4 of the frainasaid coil springs43 serving to' impel the clamping plates forwardly upon the guide bars22 and 23. The coil springs 43 are secured against removal by havingtheir respectiveend portions 5| and 52 bent inwardly and secured to theplates against which they abut. To insure the fastening of the'springs43 the endpo'rtions 5| thereof are passed through openings 53 providedby struck-out portions 54 of plate 14, and the end portions 52 ofsprings 43 are passed through openings 55 provided by struck-outportions 56 of the innermost of the clamping plates 26.

The operation of the device may now be readily understood. Whenever itis desired to separate an adjacent pair of clamping plates, the coilwhich provides the handle portion of the spreading device which ismounted on the rearmost of the two plates to be separated, is gripped bythe operator, and turned forwardly to rotate the spindle about its axisin the journals provided in the bent-over ends 28 and 29 of the clampingplate. As the spindle member is thus rotated the arms 32 and 33 carriedthereby will push against the clamping plate 25 immediately to the frontthereof and cause the clamping plate upon which the spindle member ismounted to be moved to the rear against the tension of the coil springs43.

When the spindle member is rotated to bring the arms 32 and 33 to theoperative positions to separate a pair of clamping plates the handleportion 31 of the spreading member Will be lim ing platesto the rearwill also be pushed rear-- wardly when the separation takes place. Wherrthe pair of clamping plates 23 are thus" spread,

the folded neck band portion of a necktie may be inserted in the spacethus provided and upon the return of the spreader to its normalmopertive' position the coil springs will push the clamping plateforward'thereby'to grip the folded end of the necktie between theclamping plates:- After the folded end of the necktie has-been insertedbetween the clamping plates the holder is then placed upon thesupporting bar' I0, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and the tongueportionof the guide members whichexten'd across the channel will serveto prevent the device from sliding lengthwise on the bar 10 by reason ofsaid top plates engaging the notches provided in the bar Hi for thatpurpose;

It will be noted that the rod 4!! provided along the side of the sidemember will'serve as a limit to prevent the spreader from being rotatedmore than approximately to the spreading position.

1. An article holder for a display rack comprising a frame having spacedguide bars, a plurality of parallel article clamping plates slidablymounted thereon, spring means impelling said plates to clampingpositions; and each of said plates having means carried thereby tospread the same to increase the space between an adjacent pair of saidplates to permit an article to be inserted in said space.

2. An article holder for a display rack compris ing a frame havingspaced guide bars,'a plurality of parallel article clamping platesslidably' mounted thereon, springmeans simultaneously impelling all ofsaid plates to clamping positions-,-

and means for spreading said plates to increase means for spreading saidplates to increase the space between an adjacent pair of said plateswhereby an article may be inserted in said space, said means comprisingthe provision on each of said clamping plates of a manually rotatablemember journaled in portions of'said plate, said member having armsadapted when said member is rotated to engage an adjacent plate andsepa-- rate the same. l V

4. An article holder for a display rack comprisa frame having spacedguide bars, a plurality" of parallel article clamping plates mountedthereon, spring means simultaneously impelling all of said plates toclamping positions, and means for spreading said plates to increase thespace between an adjacent pair of said plates whereby an article may beinserted in said space, said spreading means comprising the provision oneach of said clamping plates of a member journaled in portions of saidplate, said member having arms adapted when said member is rotated toengage an adjacent plate and separate the same, and said member having ahand lever on one end outside the frame for manually rotating saidmember.

5. An article holder for a display rack comprising a frame having spacedguide bars, a plurality of parallel article clamping plates mountedthereon, spring means simultaneously impelling all of said plates toclamping positions, and means for spreading said plates to increase thespace between an adjacent pair of said plates whereby an article may beinserted in said space,

said spreading means comprising the provision on each of said clampingplates of a member journaled in portions of said plate, said memberhaving arms adapted when said member is rotated to engage an adjacentplate and separate the same, said member having a hand lever on one endoutside the frame for manually rotating said member, and recesses insaid plates adapted toreceive the ends of the aforesaid arms to hold thesame in spreading positions.

JACK I. BLUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 862,706 Brenizer Aug. 6, 19071,380,612 Walker June 7, 1921 2,015,460 Rand et al Sept. 24, 19352,253,841 Blum Aug. 26, 1941

